


I is for Ice

by scarletmanuka



Series: V/V Alphabet Challenge [9]
Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-28 14:59:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7645762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletmanuka/pseuds/scarletmanuka





	I is for Ice

The atmosphere in the Rats Chamber was chilly. The Guild leaders and other city officials had gathered for their weekly meeting and Lord Rust was on another of his tirades. Vimes had stopped listening once the pompous twat had really gotten going so he only had a vague idea of what the man was on about. He sometimes really hated the fact that Vetinari allowed these meetings to have an open floor policy. The Patrician believed that if people felt that they were heard when they had complaints, then there were less likely to do something silly and actually do something about them. He’d told Vimes that putting up with the self absorbed ranting of the overprivileged for an hour a week was time much better spent than quelling revolutions. And as much as it irked the Commander to admit, the man had a point. Unfortunately, Vimes was expected to attend these meetings.

He stifled a yawn and looked around the room to gage the reactions of the group. Rosie looked bored and was doing her nails. Ridcully was dozing as evidenced by his occasional snores. Downey looked politely interested. Queen Molly was scowling. Boggis was nodding in agreement. And Vetinari - well, Vetinari was the reason the atmosphere was chilly.

Vimes had heard the expression Ice Blue Eyes before but until he met the Patrician, he’d thought it to be a colourful phrase that was used for dramatic effect in bad storytelling. Because really, when one put some thought into it, ice wasn’t blue, was it? If you picked up a chunk of ice from the street, or saw it clinging to the frozen branches of trees, it was clear, or more likely in this city, brown. To be fair, a frozen pond may look a bit blue but the ice on top was clear - the blue came from the water  _ below _ . So how could blue eyes be considered icy?

Taking a good look at Vetinari, Vimes could see, despite the literary inaccuracies, exactly what people meant by the saying. There was no way you could see the expression in the man’s eyes and not have goosebumps go up your spine. There was just  _ something _ about it that evoked the feeling of glaciers, and frozen winds, and certain death. The only way it wouldn’t phase you would be if you were a self-entitled, pretentious, snooty jackass. Lord Rust for instance. 

Vimes cast his mind back and tried to think if he’d ever had that expression directed at him. He couldn’t recall if it had ever gotten that far, and he was sure he’d remember if it had. He’d have required a change of pants for sure. He was a grown man, the Commander of the City Watch, the Duke of Ankh, and don’t forget Blackboard Monitor but that expression scared the shit out of him. Oh, there was no doubt that he’d pissed off the Patrician many times in the past. He’d always pushed the boundaries and didn’t back down from an argument when he felt strongly about something. But he’d never crossed the line into open insubordination, had he? Even when he’d arrested the Patrician, he’d only been doing his job. It hadn’t been outright disobedience. That seemed to be the only time he could imagine that those icy blues would be directed at him in such a way. 

Vetinari must have felt Vimes watching him and he turned his head minisculey in his direction. Their eyes met and his expression changed for a split second. Then it was gone, as quickly as it had come and the Patrician was directing his glare back at Rust. Vimes sat back in his seat, feeling confused and unsettled as he tried to figure out if he’d just seen what he thought he’d seen. Gone was the cold, calculated look of disdain, and for the briefest moment it was replaced by warmth, and affection.

 


End file.
